All 50 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Government 2014 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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Government protects the lives and property of the citizens of a state through the
Government protects lives and property of citizens through the courts and the police, which enforce law and order.
Political power could be acquired through
Political power is legitimately acquired through election in a democracy.
Which of the following countries in Africa practised socialism?
Tanzania practised socialism under the leadership of Julius Nyerere.
Nazism was introduced by
Nazism was a form of totalitarianism practised in Germany introduced by Adolf Hitler in 1933.
The following are merits of separation of power except
Separation of power aims to avoid the abuse/concentration of power, not cause it — so 'abuse of power' is not a merit but a problem it seeks to prevent.
Which of the following is not a merit of checks and balances?
Checks and balances allows each organ of government to have a merit of veto to control excesses, but 'encouraging the use of veto power' itself is the mechanism, not a merit outcome — per the source, this is the correct 'except' answer.
Representative government is alternatively called
Representative government is also known as indirect democracy, where representatives are elected to make decisions on behalf of the people.
A constitution is a
A constitution is a body of rules, regulations, and conventions that govern a state and its institutions.
A feature of a rigid constitution is that it requires
A rigid constitution requires a special/more difficult amendment procedure, unlike a flexible constitution which can be amended by ordinary legislative process.
A characteristic of a federal system of government is that power is
A key characteristic of federalism is that power is constitutionally shared between the central (national) government and the component (state/regional) governments.
In a federal system of government, education and health are examples of
Concurrent powers are those that both the central and unit governments can legislate on, such as education and health.
Which of the following is not a function of the judiciary?
Maintenance of law and order is primarily a function of the executive/police, not the judiciary.
Statutes are
Statutes are laws formally passed/enacted by the parliament (legislature).
Slander limits a citizen's freedom of
Slander (defamatory spoken statements) is a limitation on the freedom of expression, since false statements are not protected.
Which of the following bodies has the right to change the laws of the country?
The Legislature has the constitutional power to make and change/amend the laws of the country.
All the following are sources of revenue of a political party except
Custom duties are a source of government revenue, not a political party's revenue; parties are funded by dues, donations, and fund raising.
Party manifesto is important in the following ways except
A party manifesto is meant to highlight policies to attract people and guide/evaluate the party — it does not limit the choice of voters.
Coalition government can be defined as parties coming together
A coalition government is formed when two or more parties come together to form a government, often because no single party has an outright majority.
Which of the following West African countries practised a one-party system?
Benin was among the West African countries that practised a one-party political system.
In limited franchise, restriction on voting can be based on
Under limited franchise, voting rights can be restricted based on qualifications such as property ownership.
Which of the following is a limitation to Universal Adult Suffrage?
Age is a universally applied limitation even under universal adult suffrage — voters must meet a minimum age requirement.
Which of the following is an example of a general election?
A presidential election, held nationally to elect a head of state, is an example of a general election.
The purpose of an election is to
The main purpose of elections is to allow the people of a given area to choose their political leaders through voting.
Universal Adult Suffrage is popular because it
Universal Adult Suffrage gives all eligible adults the opportunity to participate in politics through voting, allowing for greater political participation.
Which of the following is not a factor that promotes a democratic electoral system?
The popularity of a public office holder is not a factor that promotes a democratic electoral system, which is about the conduct/credibility of elections generally.
A factor that could make elections free and fair is the
Registration of only those who are eligible to vote helps ensure elections are conducted freely and fairly.
The body responsible for conducting and supervising elections in West African countries is called
The Electoral Commission is the body responsible for conducting and supervising elections.
Which of the following is not a problem of an electoral commission in West Africa?
Registration of voters is one of the functions performed by the electoral commission, not a problem it faces; the other options are genuine challenges.
Which of the following is not an aim of a pressure group?
A pressure group aims to influence government policies for the benefit of its members but does not contest elections like a political party.
A pressure group formed only by teachers is
A pressure group formed by people of the same occupation (teaching), such as the National Union of Teachers (NUT), is an occupational pressure group.
Neutrality in the civil service means that
Neutrality in the civil service means civil servants are expected to be politically neutral, serving any government faithfully without being card-carrying members of any political party.
Red-tapism in the civil service is a product of
Red-tapism describes the slow and difficult process of adhering to bureaucratic rules — it arises from bureaucracy.
An advantage of public corporations in West Africa is
Public corporations provide employment opportunities in West African economies.
The central government can reduce annual subventions to public corporations through
The government, acting through the minister, can reduce annual subventions to public corporations through ministerial control.
Collection of rates is a source of revenue to
Rates (e.g. property rates, tenement rates) collected by local authorities are a source of revenue for local government.
The money given by the government to local authorities is known as
Grants are money given to local governments by the state or federal government to help them carry out projects, referred to as block or general grants.
The laws of the pre-colonial African political systems were
Pre-colonial African political systems were unwritten, based on custom, tradition, and convention rather than codified written law.
Auditing the accounts of public corporations amounts to
Auditing the accounts of public corporations amounts to a form of financial control, checking how funds were used.
The following were features of the French policy of Assimilation except
The French policy of assimilation did not recognise the institution of traditional rulers/chiefs, since it viewed African culture as inferior and primitive.
The recurrent coups in West African countries resulted in
The continuous coups in most West African countries led to political instability.
Foreign policy refers to the
Foreign policy refers to the set of objectives which a state seeks to achieve in its interactions with other states, governing its international behaviour.
Which of the following is a factor for the adoption of a unitary system of government in some West African countries?
A unitary system, which concentrates power at the centre, is more suitable for countries with small size and population; many West African countries are small, hence the unitary system.
Which of the following countries is a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization (UNO)?
Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (alongside USA, China, Britain, and France).
The Commonwealth is
The Commonwealth is an international organisation mostly made up of countries that were former colonies of Britain.
Which of the following Commonwealth member-states was colonized by Portugal rather than Britain?
Mozambique is a member-state of the Commonwealth that was colonized by Portugal; it has no colonial link with the United Kingdom, and joined the Commonwealth in 1995.
Who is regarded as the Head of the Commonwealth?
The Queen of England (historically Elizabeth II) is regarded as the Head of the Commonwealth.
Where is the ECOWAS Fund for Cooperation, Compensation and Development located?
The ECOWAS Fund for Cooperation, Compensation and Development is located in Lome, Togo.
How often are meetings of the Commonwealth of Nations held?
The meetings of the Commonwealth are held biennially, once every two years, rotated among member-states.
Which organ of the United Nations is responsible for investigating internal disputes within the organisation?
The United Nations Security Council, the most powerful organ of the organisation, is responsible for investigating internal disputes within the organisation.
Which of the following is a major objective of ECOWAS?
The primary objective of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is the promotion of economic cooperation and integration among West African countries.
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